Please upgrade the chicken loop

Love most of the OR gear but I think you could do a lot better with the chicken loop.

It has little loose bits that float around under the bar, and the loop istself is way too small for easy hooking back in.

I would love to see a solid cuff like on the flexy release that auto orients itself with the bar insert. SS and Liquid Force both have solid below the bar CL systems. Naish has a decent one too. I’m sure the collective brain at OR can do a lot better than what is currently shipping. Gotta get away from little bits of PVC as spacers and exposed knots to compete with the clean systems on offer out there. Self orienting is another simple but important feature.

Please, please, please? The velcro cuff is so old windwing,,, and it wasn’t cool for them either! No need to get all gadgety like the crazy piece by GK. Just simple clean and sand proof. Again, I urge you to look to flexy for your inspiration. all it needs is a cleat below the cuff and your golden.

I think there can be improvement, but myself I like the velcro quick release a monkey could use it grab a pull up gone, very easy and is programed in my brain automatic now, I find it’s good because it’s big and I can find it without looking, saved my ass a few times, if there’s something better out there I’m all for it.

Jason

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Kiting is great can’t wait to retire so I can do it full time. Bring on the wind.

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i like it too. My biggest complaint is it’s a pain for hooking back in. I find if you’ve been riding hooked for a while it keeps it’s shape kinda pinched, and it’s really difficult to hook back in. I like the QR because you’re not grabbing for some small tab or strap to pull, you grab the entire thing, can’t miss.

there was a thread somewhere on here where someone added a round stopper ball between the bar and chiken loop. When unhooked the ball would then sit in the recess under the bar locking the c’loop at a nice angle for hooking back in!

Tech section I think. Got to be worth a look

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I agree,something like the Naish smart loop,North Iron Heart or even Eclipse QR is awesome but needed to be updated to push away design…On my 08 Rise the swivel works poorly too….My frontlines are always twisted…Anyone ever tried some lube like mountain bike water resistent lube???

Honestly, this last weekend i helped my friend re depower rope his 07 Slingshot bar! Was a lot of usesless crap, it even has a crappy rusty bearing in the cl bit! All that crap and cost and it is in no way near as good as the OR setup!

The body of the CL needs to be solid and wide enough to hold the loop open making it easier to hook back in and preventing the CL from conforming to the shape of your hook. The release could work on exactly the same principle but be a solid piece instead of material. The Flexi release is exactly that. no more complex than the OR release, just easily shaped to fit into the bar insert for auto orientation. Adding a ball just means one more loose bit below the bar that I am trying to prompt a move away from and it makes for a tiny loop on a longer unit. As a rider I understand the safety and functionality of the system but also have a good idea of its shortcomings. As a retailer I see the untidiness and home made look of the unit, and as a progressive thinker I know it can be improved without compromising its utility, reliability or serviceability. Nothing complex, just take what works and improve on it.

To those that feel the loop is perfect as is, I suggest you take your riding to the next level and learn to unhook. Then get back to me on how many times you biff while looking down, one hand on the bar, one on the CL trying to hook back in.

Yeah, alright I’ll bit on this one. 70% of my riding is unhooked and I have no problems hooking back in. I don’t even have to look when I do it. It is all about feel and muscle memory. The more you do it, the less you need to focus on it. Maybe you just haven’t been at the ‘next level’ long enough.

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I agree that the current setup is not really a problem hooking in. I do usualy grap the CL with 1 hand though. So from that aspect I also strongly agree that a molded system which falls in the oval barhole to keep it more straight makes the whole system perfect.

I ride a number of different kites/bars and find the OR the toughest to hook back into without taking a hand off the bar. Especially toe side or in chop. A slightly wider loop is much easier and a pretty easy improvement to make. Pretty touchy in here! Didn’t realize constructive criticism was taboo.

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I think the same basic design layout with a molded plastic base of the chicken loop to keep it wide open. I think the cuff should be molded plastic as well to fit the bar insert. Definitely an expense to get made, but I shouldn’t think its all that hard to design.

agree that there should be a swivel cleat for de-power. also occasionally have trouble getting depower cord out of the cleat. my girlfriend definately can’t work the thing. when you need it in a pinch (big gust) it can be a pain to depower. don’t know if there is anyway to make it easier to use?

I really dont know about all of this fix that, fix this all of my gear works 100% all of the time
My swivel works fine if it is wound a bit i just smack the lines with my hand and it spins the lines fine.
The clam cleat is fine too pull down and out with force but that much force.

I dont get it - it all works for me - that being said i do check my gear, use teflon on the swivel and check to see if any sand has gotten into the clam cleat….clean before and after each session. rinse with water.

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While we’re talking about improvements there is a small issue of trimming the cleat on the SLE bar in particular when on the move. It’s position makes it a little awkward. I manage but some may struggle.

Would it be easier if you were able to pull the trim rope away from you? that would mean having the cleat the other way round and some additional rigging to get the rope to it.

Just another mad thought

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im all for leaving it as it is? i cant see anything wrong with it apart from it being too ‘floppy’ hooking back in sometimes, i think it could do with something a bit like on the naish ones where the loops locked in place when unhooked. but the trims all you need and why complicate the release when it works so well already, it realeses easily but only when you want it to, so whats to change?

Geez, I take 4 days to get on top of other stuff and you guys are hard at work re-designing our gear!!

We have a brand new chicken loop designed and awaiting approval. It is my hope to see this chicken loop available by the early summer. Its design is similar to the existing design and includes:

- the exact same cuff style safety release. This release is never under load and is accessible from both sides of the bar with either hand.
- A new leash attachment point on the opposit side of the trim line to keep the trim line free of tangles when adjusting the kite’s AoA.
- A plastic moulded body that allows the cleat to be properly bolted in place.
- Replaceable loops, both for maintenance and for options as to the loop size riders wish to use.
- Ability to remove lock in tube for easier hook in - hook out.

As I mentioned, I hope to see this CL available in the early summer and - yes - we will make it available as a low cost upgrade to your existing 2007 and 2008 bar set-ups.

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I suppose, for me, it is one of the nicest aspects of working for this company. I go to demo days, read the forum or show up to kite and people make suggestions or comments. I internalize these comments and bring them to our design team and they love hearing them, take interest in what the people want and lend their own thoughts to other considerations we should bear in mind when working on the equipment.

There is really no better experience than being able to point out to a customer that we listened to them and included their ideas or concerns in our design process.

[quote author=“Johnz”]I suppose, for me, it is one of the nicest aspects of working for this company. I go to demo days, read the forum or show up to kite and people make suggestions or comments. I internalize these comments and bring them to our design team and they love hearing them, take interest in what the people want and lend their own thoughts to other considerations we should bear in mind when working on the equipment.

There is really no better experience than being able to point out to a customer that we listened to them and included their ideas or concerns in our design process.

Please try to keep the whole CL release unit short so the loop itself is nice and close to the bar when unhooked. With too much distance between the loop and bar, switching to a larger loop puts the bar too far out.